Date
by Bookkbaby
Summary: AU YAOI CloSeClo. Sephiroth is a prince with parents desperate for an heir. Cloud is a soldier in a different kingdom desperate enough to meet Sephiroth to try crossdressing to catch his attention. What happens when 'Lady' Cloud is found out to be a man?
1. Part I of III

Blanket Disclaimer for fic: I don't own, I make no money, and I am poor so don't sue. I am just borrowing the characters for a bit of fun.  
Warning: Cross-dressing, and there will be a kiss in later chapters. Sorry if this first chapter moves fast and some characters are OOC, but this is only my second fanfic in this fandom. I tried to keep everyone IC, but I may or may not have failed. It's FANfiction- if you want the real characters then play the game.  
Pairing: CloudSephCloud YAOI! SHOUNEN-AI! Homophobes may now leave- click the back button.

Sephiroth sighed. This was truely getting ridiculous.

His parents- well, his mother at least- were desperate for a grandchild. With good reason, not that Sephiroth would acknowledge it. He- the crown prince- was the only son of King Vincent, borne by Vincent's first wife- the late Queen Lucrecia. Vincent's new wife was a spunky princess from the nearby kingdom of Wutai- now known as Queen Yuffie since her marriage. Queen Yuffie really wanted a grandchild- boy, girl, whatever- so the royal line could keep going and so she could spoil the child rotten. She also decided it would be a good idea to pass on her Materia stea- um, gathering- ways.

Unfortunately for them, Sephiroth had no intention of bedding anyone until he was married, and no intention of marrying anyone until he had fallen in love. King Vincent had tried to set him up with a number of princesses- Princess Tifa, who he had almost decided to strangle because she was so damn annoying; Princess Aeris, who he had bored him immensely with her laid-back, tree-hugging attitude. (Of all things, she kept on going on and on about how the Planet could speak to her and how it foretold doom. She had been saying this for years, and no one really took her seriously as nothing had ever happened.) Lastly, they had even tried to set him up with Princess Scarlett, but quickly rethought that as she had slept with three of the palace guards before.

Now Yuffie was so desperate for a grandchild she was trying to make him find the perfect person to marry by hooking him up with all the elidgable women in the land. It had been three months, and no luck. All the women either cowered before him (There was a rumour going around that he was made of ice- it came from being a cool-headed General and winning any war fought with his kingdom.), threw themselves at him (He was an attractive man, no doubt about that), or would babble on and on and on about nothing of importance.

'A full day is too long- give me five minutes and be done with it.' Sephiroth thought. Each of his 'dates' lasted almost a full 24 hours- from 12 noon to ten the next morning. His mother would inform his next date that they were to report to the palace at twelve, and tell Sephiroth who had been called and what her name was.

Carefully, Sephiroth checked his watch.

'Nine fifty. Ten more minutes...' he thought, smiling slightly. This particular woman talked- a lot. Her voice grated on his nerves the more he heard it and was about ready to throw the poor woman out the window.

"I'm sorry-" he said, cutting the woman off in the middle of whatever she was saying. She looked baffled. "- but it's almost ten- perhaps you should pack?" Each woman that came here knew perfectly well that he wouldn't allow them to stay even an extra minute if he didn't like them. Thus far, all his dates ended with the woman packing up and leaving exactly at ten, and not a second later. The woman just stared blankly until he turned and left, his personal guard following after him with a jaunty wave at the rejected female.

"Man, I felt sorry for you there Seph!" Zack laughed after the woman was out of earshot. "She was hanging all over you- obviously desperate." Sephiroth resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Zack was the only one daring enough to call Sephiroth by a nickname- none of the other men dared, too afraid he'd have their heads on a platter the instant they tried.

"Not as bad as some of the other ones- they actually managed to sneak into my bed chambers." he reminded Zack, who winced sheepishly. A few of the more desperate and shameless woman had actually snuck into his bed and very nearly been decapitated- Sephiroth was a very light sleeper with very good battle instincts and reflexes. The poor women had been traumatized.

"Yeah- but I have to sleep sometime!" Sephiroth sighed as they reached his chambers.

"I'm just about ready to forget this whole thing and call it off. This is getting us nowhere, and is only making me frustrated..."

"- but not in any of the ways that Queen Yuffie wants you to be..." Zack added, laughing at his own joke. Sephiroth just allowed a slight smile to cross his face.

"Speaking of my mother, go get the file on the next woman." Sephiroth said. Zack just nodded, turning around and waving good-bye as he went in search of the queen. Sephiroth slipped into his chambers and reclined on his large, silk-covered bed, sliding his sword out from his belt and leaning it up against his bed. He picked up a book from his bedside table and began reading. Reading was relaxing and he had to relax before each new girl was brought in or else he'd be short-tempered.

He had just been getting really into the story when Zack returned with the requested file, barging right into Sephiroth's room without knocking. Sephiroth again resisted the urge to roll his eyes- he had given up on telling Zack to knock because the dark-haired man never did. He held out his hand for the file and it was quickly handed over, Zack pulling up a chair to listen in on all the details of the next woman.

"'Name: Cloud Strife. Age: Twenty-one. Home: Nibelheim.'" Sephiroth read out loud, then stopped. "Not much known about this one." Zack shrugged.

"The queen opened it up to all people, and not all write a lot down. Check out the picture, though." Zack said, smiling. Sephiroth moved the paper he held to see the picture beneath.

It was a pretty good picture, he had to admit. With each file he recieved a picture of his next date so he'd know who to look for. Cloud Strife was apparently a rather pretty blonde woman with bright blue eyes. From what he could see she didn't seem to have much of a figure and seemed rather gentle.

"She's quite the hottie, isn't she?" Zack asked, smiling. Zack routinely went through the file before handing it over to Sephiroth. Sephiroth shrugged.

"I'd have to meet her. You know I don't judge on looks alone."

"Yeah, or you would have taken... what's-her-name... Tifa? Now there's a figure-"

"I don't need to hear it." Sephiroth said, tossing the file carelessly on the table next to him. Zack smiled.

"You'll find someone- I know it." Zack happened to glance at Sephiroth's watch and his eyes flew open. "Shit! We start new SOLDIER training in ten minutes! Bye!" Zack took off, leaving Sephiroth alone.

Sephiroth just smiled wryly and began reading his book again, not noticing as the tenth hour slowly became the twelfth, and he sighed when he heard the familiar lunch bell ring.

'The next one's here.' he thought, putting his book down and walking towards the dining room- a private room set aside just for him and his dates, so they could 'get to know' one another. Without thinking, he grabbed Masamune from its place where he had left it earlier and slid it into his belt. He always had it with him, regardless of where he went.

Zack was busy with the new recruits for the castle defense force- SOLDIER- so Sephiroth went to his next date alone. He opened the doors to the small hall and instantly his eyes went to his next date.

The sight almost took his breath away.

The picture, he decided, did not do Cloud justice. Cloud's hair was so much more golden than it had appeared, and her eyes seemed to glow. She was prettier than the picture. (Note: Cloud is still a man- cross-dressing warning! Sephiroth thinks Cloud's a girl, so I'll be referring to Cloud as 'she' for this next scene.)

"Oh, hello." Cloud said, looking up from where she had apparently been staring at her lap. Her face went slightly red upon seeing him, and Sephiroth decided that her now liked that particular shade of red.

"Good day." Sephiroth replied evenly, sliding into his seat. "Feel free to begin eating whenever you wish." He had noticed that the blonde hadn't put any food on the plate in front of her. At his words, the blonde began to reach for a variety of foods- not just salads and fruits, like many other women had, hoping to impress him with somehow- but for the meats and the cheeses too, eating like she hadn't a care in the world. She still ate politely, chewing each bite before swallowing and keeping her mouth closed. Sephiroth was greatly surprised when she kept going back for more and more food- she had a healthy appetite, apparently. Once they had finished eating, Sephiroth asked Cloud to walk with him, and they abndoned the interior of the castle for the peaceful rose gardens. After they got outside, Sephiroth broke the silence

"Do they not feed you or what?" he asked, half-joking. Cloud shot him a sheepish glance.

"I've always had a pretty big appetite... sorry."

"Don't apologize- at least you eat. I've seen other women who think it's impressive that they only eat vegetables, fruits, and salads." Sephiroth actually surprised himself with his words. Why did he say that?

Cloud laughed, a musical, sweet sound. Sephiroth found himself paying rapt attention to it, as though it were a lifeline. He almost joined in, the laughter was so contagious.

"I was glad when I was told to come in." Cloud said abruptly, changing topics. "I almost couldn't believe it."

"Why?" Sephiroth asked, slightly curious. "Do you like the palace and wanted to see what it was like?" Many women had come here just in case they could be the one to snag the prince, and in doing so ensure that they would live in wealth and power for the rest of their lives. Sephiroth found himself slightly disappointed at the thought that that might be why Cloud had come, but...

Cloud was shaking her head.

"No. I wanted to meet you, actually." With a soft chuckle, she glanced to the side. "Seems foolish."

"Not at all." Sephiroth said, drawing her attention back to him. "You're one of the few people I've met not after the wealth of this place." Cloud smiled.

"I'm glad to hear that. I'd hate to be like everyone else, especially because I'm pretty sure I'm a special case." Sephiroth was about to ask what she had meant by that when she changed topics, obviously trying to keep him from questioning what appeared to be a sensetive spot "So, how are things with the army and SOLDIER? I read the articles from the last war we fought..." she explained. Sephiroth smiled. If it was one thing he knew, it was war.

"They're doing wonderfully. We've increased the number guarding the palace..." They kept on talking for hours- an actual conversation, not just one talking at the other. They had actually gotten into a debate about one of the battles, but had decided to call it a draw as the dinner bell rang, interrupting their talk.

"I guess we'd better go back, huh?" Cloud said, smiling. She had been smiling almost constantly, her eyes twinkling in what seemed to be uncontrollable happiness. Even when they were fighting and she had been arguing her point with Sephiroth, her eyes had maintained that happy glow.

"We should." Sephiroth said, smiling lightly as he offered her his arm. She took it.

Dinner was filled with the buzz of conversation, both discovering new topics to talk about, though occasionally Cloud would steer the conversation away from certain topics- mostly things about herself. He'd be deflected whenever he asked something too personal, and that only made him more intrigued.

'Who exactly is she?' he asked himself. He could relate so much to her- he didn't want to rush things, but he knew that she would definately be staying beyond a day. When dinner was over, Queen Yuffie came by to talk to them, King Vincent in tow to protect her. She had argued many times that she didn't need it, but he never listened.

"Sephiroth!" she exclaimed happily, throwing her arms around her much taller son. "How's it going?" she asked quietly, a hint of seriousness in her voice. Ordinarily, he would respond with a stressed 'Perfectly fine- how many hours until ten tomorrow?', but today...

"Wonderfully mother. Can she stay?" He felt Yuffie stiffen in surprise, then squealed loudly and hugged him even tighter.

"Of course, of course! That's great!" Yuffie skipped back over to Sephiroth's father. Vincent had a slight smile on his face.

"I'll leave you two alone!" Yuffie said, humming as she and Vincent headed off to the gardens.

"That was Queen Yuffie, right?" Cloud asked from the other side of the table. She hadn't heard any of the quiet conversation between the three at the front. Sephiroth nodded.

"Shall I walk you back to your temporary chambers?" he asked, coming around to offer his arm again. She blushed slightly and nodded, twining her arm with his and they walked towards the guest chambers- not too far from Sephiroth's own. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zack give him the thumbs-up sign, pleased that Sephiroth had found someone he liked.

At the door to Cloud's bedroom, they stopped.

"Goodnight. Sleep well." Sephiroth said. Cloud nodded, then hesitantly leaned forward and placed a light kiss on Sephiroth's cheek before saying a quick 'goodnight' and darting into her room. Sephiroth's shocked expression melted into a smile, and he almost whistled as he walked to his chambers. He hadn't been in this good of a mood in a long time...

Cloud's POV

In Cloud's chambers, 'she' shed her disguise, first sliding off the long wig and then the confining dress he had been forced to wear all day.

Cloud stretched his legs, a smile on his face.

'It was well worth dressing like a girl to get to meet him, be close to him...' Cloud smiled as he turned to the mirror. 'Aeris was right when she said I could pass as a girl.' He had been Princess Aeris' bodyguard and had developed a close friendship with her. Ever since he had been young, he had dreamed of meeting Sephiroth, the prince, the general, every woman's dream... and he had no clue when Sephiroth had become his dream as well. He had wanted the general so badly... Princess Aeris had noticed, and had been the one to tell him how he might catch the prince's attention. Cloud had been intrigued, but he thought that it wouldn't be a very good idea. Once he told them that he was a man, he'd be kicked out so fast he wouldn't realize it until he was already over the border. Aeris had- laughing- suggested that he simply not tell them. She had had dresses made by her own personal dressmaker so that they'd hide his masculine form. They couldn't hide his lack of breasts, but they helped diguise that he was a man, at least. Every dress he had had long sleeves to hide his muscles, and he had even had /lessons/ on how to be a proper woman. It had been humiliating, but he had learned. Even if the prize was only one short day with Sephiroth, he'd take what he could get.

'At least I don't have to apply makeup.' Cloud thought, internally sighing with relief again. Aeris had declared that his face was feminine and clear enough- he wouldn't need the bulky powders and paints many real women needed.

Cloud stretched, yawning. It had been exhausting to keep up his disguised voice and disguise his mannerisms all day, and he was glad to finally walk normally, not in tiny little half-steps.

A knock came at the door, and Cloud almost jumped out of his skin.

"Madame? We've come to help you with your bath-" a nervous maid said. Cloud nearly cursed for having forgotten that many nobles requested maids or manservents to come and help them with the necesity of bathing.

"No need, really! I'm fine." he said, trying to sound feminine but firm.

"Are you sure, ma'am?"

"Yes- don't worry about me!" Cloud said, praying for the woman to go away. He couldn't have any help when bathing- 'girl' Cloud couldn't request manservants for help, and Cloud couldn't have females bathing him!

"Okay..." Light footsteps traveled away from the door, and Cloud relaxed.

'That was close- I can't let my guard down just because it's night.'

Sephiroth POV

Sephiroth strode back to his chambers, not surprised to find Zack waiting for him there.

"So? How'd it go?" he asked, excited. Sephiroth smiled.

"I think it went quite well- and Cloud seems to think so too." Zack slapped him lightly on the back, doing a mini happy-dance.

"That's great! You've finally found someone you like! I'm happy for you, man."

"Something's odd, though. She wouldn't tell me anything of herself other than her name..." Sephiroth frowned. "It makes me think she has something she's hiding..." Zack stopped dancing.

"Like, something bad?" Zack knew that Sephiroth had first-rate instincts, and was rarely wrong when he had a gut feeling about something.

"No- just different. She was a most intriguing woman." Zack shrugged.

"Well, then I guess she'll tell you eventually." Sephiroth nodded, all thoughts on Cloud.

'I'll enjoy learning more about her...'

End Part 1 of 3

Like it? Hate it? Too bad- it's how I write. It gets better later- I was originally planning for this to be a one-shot and realized that it was way too long!

Tune in next week for Part 2! 


	2. Part II of III

Raserei Hojo: I guess I didn't explain completely- Yuffie is Vincent's second wife, and Sephiroth is Vincent's son by his first wife. I also decided to mess with the ages a little, so Yuffie is more like late twenties- early thirties and Sephiroth is more like early twenties. I didn't look up the ages and decided to mess around with them a little- even the ages are AU! Sorry 'bout that...

Shameless self-promotion: If you like this, then feel free to check out 'My Valentine' and 'The Dance'- MV is a one-shot with the pairing SephCloudSeph, and Dance is also SephCloudSeph. Dance is 11 chapters long, two of which have been posted. Has already been written, and so will be updated regularly!

Date- Part 2 of 3

The next day, Cloud was pleasently surprised when Sephiroth invited him to stay another night. Yuffie was overjoyed, ceratin that she'd have grandchildren soon enough. The entire palace seemed a brighter place, as Sephiroth no longer stalked the corridors angrily after a particularly bad date. Cloud was very well respected, though some gossips told of how Cloud had never allowed anyone to bathe 'her'. Cloud was a woman of mystery, and while she seemed open and honest, you had to realize that you knew almost nothing about her other than her name, age, and hometown. Sure, you knew what foods, scents, colors, and places she liked in the castle, but nothing of her history. Some said that she was a crazy murderess from another country, or that she was escaping persecution for some crime. No one dared say anything negative about her in front of Sephiroth though- they were too afraid of what would happen. Still, rumours continued to spread and warp, speculation running rampant.

It had been a week into Cloud's stay when an accidental meeting began the beginning of the end of his charade.

The Meeting

Cloud had snuck out, wanting to enjoy the full moon from outside his room. He had grown used to living a double life- woman by day, and himself at night. Even though he still didn't enjoy wearing the dresses, he had grown used to them and thought of them only as a camoflauge, allowing him to get close to Sephiroth.

He smiled warmly as he thought of the prince. It would hurt to leave him, sure, but he couldn't stay and let them find him out.

'I'll have to leave soon, before he becomes too attached.' It was heaven and hell here- the one person he had ever loved, even from afar, was returning his love. The problem was Cloud couldn't be allowed to have Sephiroth- the queen wanted grandchildren, and Cloud was incapable of that. He had to leave soon, and without telling anyone so no one could follow him or try to talk him out of it.

'It will be as if I was never here.' Cloud promised himself.

He was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't hear light footsteps coming up behind him.

"Who are you?" Cloud jerked his head around in surprise, coming face-to-face with none other than Sephiroth himself, out for a late-night stroll.

"Sephiroth!" the name was out before he could stop himself as he sprang to his feet, trying to control his heart: pounding from fear and excitement at having the one he loved so near.

"I asked who you were." Sephiroth said slowly, not really angry. Cloud swallowed, realizing that he couldn't actually give the man his name.

"I'm... a servant for Lady Cloud." he lied quickly, figuring that lie wouldn't be found out so soon. He glanced down, unable to meet Sephiroth's glowing green eyes.

"Lady Cloud, hmm? I wasn't aware that she was from such a rich family as to allow a servant to be assigned to a single family member."

"Yes." Cloud said, not daring to say anything else. He quickly bowed respectfully and turned to run when Sephiroth's voice stopped him.

"I also wasn't aware that the Strife's were a wealthy family. In fact..." Cloud didn't look behind him, feeling Sephiroth approach. "...I know that that name is not listed among the noble families. Tell me truly who you are."

"I'm sorry!" Cloud said, taking off. He was glad for the muscle in his legs as he propelled himself quickly through the gardens, only allowing himself a single look behind him.

For a second, his eyes caught Sephiroths and then he was gone.

Cloud was nervous the next day, though he tried to cover it up.

He failed miserably. Sephiroth asked a few pointed questions about his family, and about the 'servant' he had met. Cloud tried to lie as convincingly as he could, covering himself and trying to make sure that he wouldn't get killed next time he went out without a dress.

Sephiroth was still suspicious however, though he seemed mainly concerned for 'Lady' Cloud's safety. Cloud talked to him the entire day, convncing Sephiroth that it was fine, probably nothing, harmless. Cloud didn't think that he succeeded, but he was mostly sure that Sephiroth would take no further measures unless he got caught again.

He was wrong.

As soon as Cloud was out of earshot, Sephiroth quietly told Zack to look up any information on Cloud Strife that he could find.

Cloud was hiding something, and now he was determined to figure it out.

Cloud's POV (sort of)

Cloud felt Sephiroth's eyes on his back, studying him.

'Maybe I didn't fool him as well as I would have liked.' He bit his lip nervously. The closer Sephiroth studied him, the more sure Cloud was that the man was able to see all his flaws, and see him for what he actually was, underneath the disguise.

'Tomorrow. I'll leave tomorrow. That'll end it.' Cloud thought, deciding that he was safe for just another day, not knowing that Zack was looking up any information on his name that Zack could find in their network of spies.

That night, Zack had finally found out exactly what he had to know- and he was shocked. Thinking back, it made sense, but-

It still took a while to sink in. He winced, wondering how Sephiroth would react when he found out Cloud's secret.

"What do you have for me, Zack?" Sephiroth asked, walking into the almost forgotten sitting room- it was in a small wing of the palace, and therefore not much visited. Any information Zack gave him would stay here.

"Well, I'll tell you now that you probably won't like it. You'll be shocked, at least." Zack said. Sephiroth motioned for Zack to continue, sure that he could handle it. Zack sucked in a long breath, letting it out in a slow 'whoosh' while he tried to think how it would be best to break the news to Sephiroth.

"Cloud Strife- blonde, blue-eyed, comes from Nibelheim. Age, twenty-one. Was poor until Cloud joined a military program in the kingdom of the Ancients, and went on to become a great bodyguard for Princess Aeris. Extremely strong, and very good with a blade- uses a Buster Sword, believe it or not." Sephiroth looked on dumbly.

"Zack? Are you sure you found the right information?" Sephiroth asked. Zack nodded, reaching into his back pocket.

"I thought I was wrong, but then I found this." He handed a small picture to Sephiroth, who took it and glanced at the contents.

It was a faded newspaper clipping, of some social function. Looking closer, Sephiroth realized that this was from the time that Cloud had become a bodyguard- the picture was clear enough to make out the face perfectly, and if the face wasn't convincing enough...

The caption read : 'Cloud Strife, at age nineteen, now Princess Aeris' personal guard.'

"Dead ringer- a bit too much of a coincidence, don't you think?" Zack said softly. Sephiroth nodded, mind still processing the information. He certainly recognized that face, and not just from Cloud her- no, himself.

'Last night- he was relaxing in the gardens. He passed off some story about being a servant for 'Lady Cloud'.' Sephiroth realized.

"What do we do?" Zack asked. He was well aware that Sephiroth had held deep feelings for Cloud when they had believed her to be a woman, but now-

"We find who put him up to this- I doubt he'd come here on his own." Sephiroth said flatly. Zack winced. He knew that tone- Sephiroth only spoke like that when he was hurt and didn't want to show it.

'Well, having some guy dress up like a girl, steal your heart, and then you find out he's a guy and can't bear you children which your mother so dearly wants... I guess he has a right. Damn, it seems like Cloud was just playing some sort of game...' Zack had watched the blonde, and didn't want to believe it of Cloud, but... why else would Cloud be there, dressing like a woman?

'Unless...' The thought made him pause. '... unless he actually likes Sephiroth.' By the time Zack had finished pondering, Sephiroth was already long gone on his way to the guest chambers.

Sephiroth quietly entered the room, shutting the door slowly behind him. It closed without a sound.

'How could this have happened?' he wondered, making his way across the room to the bed, the figure in it sound asleep. 'Why? How... how can this be true?' Before he knew it, Sephiroth was standing at the edge of the bed. He looked down, only able to see a few gold spikes of hair peeking above the covers. Slowly, as not to disturb the sleeping figure, he peeled back the edge of the covers to reveal the person sleeping soundly beneath.

It was, undoubtabley, Cloud.

Sephiroth just stared. The Cloud he had first met had had long hair, little figure, and had been a pretty good-looking woman. The Cloud before him now had short, spikey hair, a strong, masculine body, and was a beautiful man.

His features were soft, almost feminine, but he was undeniably a male.

Sephiroth let the covers drop, not wanting to believe his eyes- not even wanting to believe his heart when it reacted the same way to the real Cloud as the illusion he had been shown the past week.

'I still love Cloud?' he thought, backing away to the wall. 'He tricked me! He made a fool of me, and he probably did it on some bet, but...' Sephiroth bowed his head, sliding down and staring blankly at the ground. 'Why do I still want him with me?'

Sephiroth sat against the wall, thinking, until sunrise.

Cloud awoke, a bittersweet smile on his face.

'Today's my last day here.' he thought ruefully, wishing that he didn't have to go.

But as they say, if wishes were horses, beggers would ride.

'I have to go, so Sephiroth can meet a real woman who can give him kids. I can't do that.' He sat up and stretched, getting all the kinks out of his back. He didn't even notice the other person in the room until Sephiroth spoke.

"Is this how you get up every morning?" The question was soft, but Cloud froze in fear and shock. He turned to see Sephiroth, who was now standing against the wall and regarding him emotionlessly.

"Se- Sephiroth?" he asked, not bothering to disguise his voice- it was painfully obvious that he had been found out.

'Oh, shit. Please, let this just be a dream...' Cloud pleaded to whatever god would listen to him.

"Cloud Strife: Bodyguard to Princess Aeris. A man, not a woman. I want to know why." Sephiroth said, face and tone revealing nothing. Cloud sighed, turning and looking away from Sephiroth.

"I was hoping... that you'd never find out." Cloud admitted. He closed his eyes tightly, not feeling the light sting as tears threatened. He had just wanted a few days with Sephiroth- but now...

Now Sephiroth would hate him. There was no doubt in Cloud's mind.

"Why did you come here?" Sephiroth asked, a hint of anger entering his tone. Cloud swallowed, finding it difficult to do around the lump in his throat.

"I... I just..." Cloud's voice trailed off pathetically, and try as he might he couldn't seem to find it again. He refused to cry, holding back the wetness that threatened to consume him.

"Who put you up to this?" Sephiroth asked, tone no longer angry. It seemed... broken, as though he was certain that this had been a prank and that whoever did it did so just to torment him.

Cloud turned his head around.

"Put me up to it? W- What do you mean?" he asked, sincerely confused. He was grateful for the confusion- it drove the sorrow away for a moment.

"Who told you to come here? Princess Aeris? A buddy of yours? Did they think it would be funny?" Cloud could only stare in shock as realization dawned- yes, Sephiroth /did/ think that this was one big cruel joke, and he was on the recieving end.

"No... it's not like that-" Cloud began, but Sephiroth didn't seem to hear him.

"Get out." Cloud only gaped in shock as Sephiroth repeated his order, then left the room. "I don't want to see you again." That was all that Sephiroth threw over his shoulder. The door slammed behind the silver-haired man, sounding so much more final than everything had seemed until now.

Cloud could only stare at the door, finding himself hoping that Sephiroth would return. No such luck.

Ten minutes after he had woken up, his world had crashed down around his ears.

Slowly, he felt the hot sting of tears make their way down his face. He didn't care- there was no one to see, no one he had to impress. Mechanically, he packed his things and left, sneaking through the halls to the chocobo stables so he wouldn't meet anyone who might ask unwanted questions.

Cloud hadn't bothered to keep up with his female disguise, and had dressed like his old self again. He carefully and quietly saddled his chocobo and attached his packs, then slung a leg over.

Within fifteen minutes of waking up, Cloud Strife was gone.

A/N: Sorry- I know Seph was probably more than a bit OOC, but gimme a break, okay? I haven't played the whole game (Only just got past Kalm) and have seen Advent Children, but that's about it. (Listens as half the angry people scream out 'Then what business do you have with FanfictioN?' Cringes)

Ah, well, I tried! How many want to hit me for kicking Cloud out and making Seph OOC? Don't worry, we'll get out happy ending when the third and final part of 'Date' comes out next week! 


	3. Part III of III

Okay, finally, the moment we've all been wating for!

Hopefully this chapter was worth the week wait, tho' I'm sure there's OOC present here. Hopefully no one's too disappointed...

Date- Part III of III

Another week had passed, and things in the castle seemed more desolate than ever. Sephiroth was withdrawn, was hardly attentive on his 'dates', and picked at his food. He didn't seem to care anymore.

Zack had made numerous attempts to cheer him up, and even his parents had tried by hiring better musicians for dinner parties, making his favorite foods, even by spending some more time with him and trying to talk about happy things. He just answered like a robot and left it at that.

"C'mon, you can't be depressed forever!" Zack finally said. "Just find yourself another person- the Cloud we knew never really existed anyway!" Inwardly, Zack apologized a thousand times to Cloud- he had grown fond of him, regardless of what Cloud had done. Still, the fact remained that Sephiroth had to move on.

"I don't care- and I am not depressed." Sephiroth said tonelessly. He wasn't convincing anyone, not even himself. Zack sighed.

"I hate to see you do this to yourself, man."

"My behavoir hasn't changed. I am simply acting as though he never came here." Sephiroth said. No one ever needed to ask who Sephiroth referred to as 'he' when he used that tone.

"No- you're acting..." Zack trailed off, not wanting to incite the other man's anger.

"If you have something to say, say it. If you are just here to waste my time, leave." Sephiroth said. Zack stood, heading towards the door, stopping a few feet from it.

"Well, if it's any consolation, apparently Cloud's having as hard a time as you." Zack said. He had been secretly keeping tabs on his blonde friend, and had been surprised to learn that Cloud had been having trouble sleeping, eaten little, and had requested a two-week vacation because he couldn't concentrate and would be of no use as a guard when he was constantly distracted. Cloud had, of course, been given his vacation and had taken off two days ago to Costa del Sol.

Zack turned his head slightly, just in time to catch Sephiroth stiffening at Cloud's name, then relaxing suddenly and turning to Zack as the rest of his words sunk in.

"What do you mean?"

Smiling thinly, Zack turned around and walked back over by Sephiroth.

"Well, you see, I've been keeping tabs on Spikey..."

Zack told Sephiroth what he knew, and then he added in what he had assumed based off of Cloud's behavior.

"I think... well, I'm pretty sure he came here for you." Zack said. Sephiroth stared dumbly at the information he was presented with. Zack made a mental note to gloat later on how he reduced the great Sephiroth to dumb stares twice.

"For... me?"

"Yeah. I did a bit of digging, and I think that maybe Cloud just dressed like a girl so he could get here and meet you. He seems as depressed as you are now. Are you sure... you didn't overreact and read this wrong?" Zack asked carefully.

"Who would cross-dress just to meet someone? It makes no sense... why did he not just ask Aeris to request a meeting with me, or ask to be brought along for the next royal function?"

"If I may," Zack said, hoping to heaven that he was right. "I think he did what he did because he wanted you to see him, and only him. He wanted to be able to get close to you, talk with you about nothing in particular, and that's all. To me, it sounds an awful lot like he really liked you." Zack said, He was hesitant to say 'love', but he was pretty sure that Cloud had loved Sephiroth. If looked at in that light, it all made perfect sense.

"... do you really think so?" Sephiroth seemed to hesitate with the question, and Zack knew that (had Zack been anyone else) that Sephiroth would not have asked.

"Yeah, I do." Zack replied, nodding. Seeming to come to a decision, Sephiroth stood.

"Well, then why are we still here?" Sephiroth asked. Zack blinked, confused.

"Huh?"

"Where did Cloud go on vacation to?" Sephiroth asked, like it was the most obvious question in the world. Zack realized what Sephiroth meant, and slowly broke into a grin.

"Costa del Sol. You going after him?" he asked knowingly. Sephiroth nodded.

"I see no reason not to." Zack smiled as Sephiroth began to move past him out the door.

"I'm coming too- bodyguard duty and all that!" Zack said, cheerfully sliding into step behind Sephiroth.

"Then go get the chocobos ready." Sephiroth said. Zack nodded, realized Sephiroth couldn't see it, and darted ahead of the prince to get to the stables.

Had he looked, he would have seen a hint of a smile on the silver-haired man's face.

Scene Change!

Cloud sighed, fixing his black sunglasses with one hand. It was a beautiful day out- few clouds, bright sun, low humidity and very warm with just a light breeze. Many would say that it was a perfect day for the beach, intent on getting a nice tan. Cloud was even wearing a nice new pair of swim trunks- black with white stripes on the sides- and had been getting some appreciative looks from the other beach-goers.

Cloud couldn't bring himself to care.

He had nothing else to do that day, and had planned on just relaxing in the sand. Of course, he hadn't expected what seemed to be the entire tourist population and quite a few natives to end up on the beach. He had just enough room to sit on the lawn chair he had brought.

He had tried to relax in his hotel room, but it just hadn't worked. He had to be out in the fresh air- and maybe he could find someone to take his mind off of Sephiroth. So far, it hadn't worked.

Half the reason he had requested a vacation was because he wanted to find someone to fill the ache in his heart. He still loved Sephiroth, but being rejected when the truth had been found out had hurt. Costa del Sol was a very active tourist area, and was the most densely populated area good for a vacation. Cloud had hoped to have his heart stolen by someone he met here, but no matter how pretty or intelligent the people he met here were, he couldn't feel any attraction to any of them.

'Screw it- I can't forget about him. Maybe in a few years I'll try again.' Cloud packed up, slipping on some sandals and sliding on a thin, white, button-up shirt. He left it unbuttoned, not really wanting to put the extra effort into doing it up.

He heard a few disappointed groans when he left, but ignored it. It didn't matter much to him. As soon as he got to his hotel, he went right to his room and collapsed onto the bed, deciding to take a quick nap.

Scene Change!

Sephiroth and Zack arrived in Costa del Sol less than a day after they left, driving their chocobos hard to get to their destination quickly. On the way, Zack managed to fill Sephiroth in on where Cloud would be. Silently, the dark-haired man thanked God that he had filed away all information regarding Cloud- including the hotel name and room.

"Here?" Sephiroth asked, stopping in front of a nice-looking hotel. Zack checked the sign.

'Inn of Costa del Sol.'

"Yup- this is the place. Shall I leave you two alone?" Zack asked teasingly. Sephiroth didn't respond to the humour and dismounted, indicating for Zack to take his chocobo to the stables as well as Zack's own bird. Zack just nodded and grabbed the reins, taking the noisey birds away as Sephiroth entered the hotel.

Sephiroth glanced around. It was a nice place- clean and air-condiotioned. Nice place to relax in.

The rather chubby clerk behind the counter noticed him, immediately stepping up to greet him.

"Prince Sephiroth! To what do I owe this honor?" Sephiroth almost winced at the man's nasaly voice. He was easily recognized- it came from having silver hair, glowing eyes, and being easily the most photographed man in the kingdom- but still wished that his presence wasn't announced so loudly.

"I'm looking for... someone I know, by the name of Cloud Strife." he said. "Is he in?" The chubby clerk didn't question how the prince knew Cloud, or knew what hotel he was in, just nodded.

"Room 113. Please don't hesitate to ask me for anything!" Sephiroth nodded, not bothering to tell the man that he wouldn't need help with anything. He quickly made his way up the stairs and to room 13. He knocked lightly, listening for a response.

"Just a minute!" he heard from within. He breathed a sigh of relief- it was unmistakeably Cloud's voice. Seconds later, the door was opened by the blonde himself. Cloud stopped dead with the realization of who was at his door.

"Sephiroth?" he said, so shocked he backed away enough to allow Sephiroth to slip inside the room. "Wha-"

"I came to see you." Sephiroth said without preamble, cutting Cloud off in the middle of his question. He met Cloud's confused stare with calm eyes.

"Why?" Cloud asked, quickly dropping his gaze. "I thought... well, I thought that you didn't want to see me again."

"I didn't." Cloud jerked his head back up, hurt evident in his eyes as he opened his mouth to speak, but Sephiroth continued. "At least, not at first. I was just as hurt as you were when I told you to leave. I was sure that it had all been a joke, and that you would have a good laugh when you got back. But..." Sephiroth said slowly, making sure to catch Cloud's eyes. "...that's not what happened, is it? Zack told me that he had been keeping tabs on you, and that you had been acting like your heart had been broken. Care to tell me about that?" Cloud swallowed, but somehow couldn't force his eyes away from the glowing green orbs in front of him.

"I... I did. Have my heart broken, I mean." Cloud said, finally managing to look somewhere other than Sephiroth's face. "I was fine with just looking at pictures of you, but then Princess Aeris heard about the 'date' program... she convinced me to go for it, even if it was only for a day. One day was enough for me, but then you asked me to stay. It was..." Cloud seemed at a loss for words. Sephiroth waited, allowing Cloud to say what he needed to.

"...it was like a dream." Cloud finally said, smiling a little. "It was a great dream, to be able to spend time with you and you to actually see me as someone you might be able to care for. Not like a comrade, or like a servant, but... maybe like a lover. I knew it wasn't possible, but I wanted... I just wanted a day in paradise. I got seven days before being dropped into hell." Cloud laughed a little, sadly. "I'm sorry for lying, but it was the only way to be able to meet you like that, for you to maybe... but it was just a dream, and this is the reality."

"Who says that the dream has to be over?" Sephiroth said softly, walking closer to Cloud. Cloud looked at him in shock.

"But... but I'm a guy. I'm a man." Sephiroth nodded, enjoying the look of confusion on Cloud's face.

"I know."

"You're the prince- I can't give you an heir."

"I know."

"Why?" Cloud seemed to choke on the word, hope and fear laced thickly in his voice. Cloud held his breath, not daring to believe...

"Because I realized that- man or woman- I care about you more than anyone else I have met. I would rather spend my time with you than with anyone else." Sephiroth said, allowing his emotions to show in his voice. Cloud was entranced by the obvious desire and love, and couldn't have moved even if he had wanted to as Sephiroth gently wrapped an arm around Cloud and tilted his chin up to carefully place his lips against the blonde's.

Cloud was still stunned, but his body knew what to do. Almost instantly, he was wrapping his arms around the silver-haired man and parting his lips, letting Sephiroth deepen the kiss. The prince took the opportunity and eagerly plunged his tongue into Cloud's mouth, letting it roam and engage Cloud's tongue in battle until someone clearing their throat at the door alerted them to the presence of another person.

They broke apart- Cloud blushing heavily but not moving away from Sephiroth's embrace- to see Zack standing at the door, smiling sheepishly.

"well, I, uh... your chocobo's in the stables, and the clerk sent me up here when he figured out who I was. You should really close the door next time." Zack said. The two in the room started, realizing that they never had closed the door.

"We'll take that into consideration." Sephiroth said with a smirk. Cloud blushed deeper, causing Zack to laugh.

"I think you've traumatized him, Seph." he commented, mock-seriously. This got Cloud laughing, snuggling slightly closer to Sephiroth.

"Anyway, I just came looking for you to see if you wanted to get something to eat- we were riding all day." Zack said, laughter dying. Sephiroth thought for a second, realizing that he actually was hungry.

"I guess we should. Cloud?" he asked, making the blonde snuggled into his side look up. "Do you know any good places?"

Cloud just smiled.

"Does this mean I'm invited?" Cloud asked, teasingly. Sephiroth smirked.

"Of course. I didn't come all this way for the food." he said. Cloud smiled and moved slightly away from Sephiroth, letting his hand trail down the silver-haired man's arm to Sephiroth's hand.

"Let's go."

With that, the three men left the room, locking it up behind them and grabbing dinner at a small restaurant close by. Over dinner, they discussed plans for the future.

"Queen Yuffie isn't going to like that fact that there won't be kids..." Zack said, sitting across from Cloud and Sephiroth. The silver-haired man nodded.

"I've made my choice. We can adopt." he said simply. Cloud looked slightly worried.

"Are you sure? I don't want anything bad to happen to you because of me-"

"It'll be fine." Sephiroth said, smiling slightly as he pressed a soft kiss to Cloud's temple. "Ask Zack. I'm stubborn- my mind is made up and I will not change it." Cloud smiled.

"I've dreamed of things like this happening. I must say, my dreams really don't do this justice. It's just so much more.. amazing, I guess, though 'amazing' isn't really the right word..." Cloud whispered softly, just loud enough for Sephiroth to hear. He leaned against Sephiroth, lightly resting his weight against his love. He loved being able to get this close to the other, when before he would just have his dreams.

'I never want this to end.'

When Cloud's vacation was finally up, the three men went back to the castle. Sephiroth was going to stay with Cloud, no matter what, and had said as much. Zack was a bit nervous for him, but happy.

Cloud was on the verge of freaking out. He knew that Sephiroth loved him, but he didn't want Sephiroth to give up what he had for Cloud. The blonde didn't think that he was worth it, couldn't imagine how much Seph must love him if he was willing to stay with him.

It made him love the silver-haired man all the more.

By the time they got to the palace, Cloud had calmed down and was more than willing to face the King and Queen by Sephiroth's side.

Sephiroth had requested an audience with his parents, and they were now meeting with them. Cloud would be meeting the King and Queen as himself for the first time.

"Mother, Father, I have come to a decision. The 'dates' that Mother had been setting up for me have finally worked- I've chosen a spouse." Cloud smiled.

'At least he didn't call me his wife. I'm not going to be the girl in this relationship all the time.' Cloud thought, watching from a pace or two behind and to the side of Sephiroth

"That's great! Who?" Queen Yuffie asked, practically jumping to Sephiroth and hugging him. "Congratulations! When do I get to meet her?"

"Now." Sephiroth turned slightly, indicating for Cloud to move forward. Shyly, Cloud stepped so that the Queen could see him. She blinked, curious, then stepped forward to him.

"You're his wife?" she asked, giving him a once-over. "Or should I say husband?" Cloud shrugged.

"'Husband', I guess." he said softly. He was shocked, but pleased, when Yuffie threw her arms around him.

"Well, welcome to the family! We'll have to plan the wedding, then, and the reception-"

"I can't give him an heir." Cloud reminded her, wondering if the Queen had somehow forgotten that men couldn't bear children- she was taking this quite calmly for having worked so hard to have grandchildren, after all. She waved his concern off.

"As it turns out..." she said, smiling proudly. "We may not need Sephiroth to father an heir." She rubbed her stomach proudly as Vincent came over and possessively wrapped his arms around his wife, placing his hands over hers.

Cloud, Sephiroth, and Zack looked on, dumbstruck, though Sephiroth would never admit it.

"Marry who you want- your little brother or sister will take care of the heir business." Yuffie said. "And the grandchildren..." She smiled mischeviously, obviously planning something for her next child.

"My blessings to you both." Vincent added. Zack couldn't help it- he started to laugh.

"And we were all freaking out because we thought you guys would kick Seph out!" Silently, Sephiroth slid his hand into Cloud's, squeezing lightly. Cloud just smiled.

"I just have one condition." Yuffie said, suddenly serious. Zack, Sephiroth, and Cloud froze, but then Yuffie grinned.

"I get to plan the wedding."

"As you wish, mother." Sephiroth said. "Just no dresses." Yuffie pouted.

"C'mon! I'm sure Cloud would look wonderful in a wedding gown!"

"I've had enough of dresses to last me a lifetime." Cloud muttered, causing Sephiroth to chuckle.

"You're much more beautiful in normal clothes, anyway." Cloud blushed as Sephiroth turned and placed a light kiss on his cheek.

"Cute!" Yuffie squealed, then began going on and on about how she was going to have this or that in the wedding, how perfect this would be, how wonderful that would look, and generally promising to make it memorable.

Cloud and Sephiroth just nodded, Cloud leaning against his lover.

It didn't matter what Yuffie planned- they could all be dressed in potato sacks in a pigsty and it would still be wonderful. The only thing they needed there was the other- what could be more perfect than that?

A/N: Sucky ending, but I couldn't just leave them apart, now could I? I dunno how I am with characterization, but I tried! Sorry if Yuffie's reaction seemed a bit off, and sorry if Cloud and Sephiroth's 'get-back-together' conversation seemed OOC, but I had a taste for waff when I wrote this... eh heh hee... Was it good? We need more SephCloSeph fluffy goodness anyways!

Feel free to check out my other SephCloud fics! Listed on my author page, in case you're looking. 


End file.
